Pharrell and adidas Debut New Humanrace Sičhona Sneaker
Accompanied by an “I am Dakota, we are Dakota” campaign that aims to amplify the voices of the Indigenous American community.
Pharrell and adidas have officially revealed their latest collaborative sneaker: the Humanrace Sičhona. A stripped-back silhouette inspired by the mechanics of the human foot and the feeling of being barefoot, the Humanrace Sičhona is also a new chapter in the evolution of Pharrell’s Humanrace brand — one that spotlights the Indigenous American Dakota tribe’s customs, traditions and culture.
Though the first colorway to be revealed was a green-and-white friends and family pair, the first Humanrace Sičhona to actually release will be a “Team Royal Blue/Easy Coral/Clear Aqua” makeup. It’s constructed with a new “direct inject casting” method that enables the removal of unnecessary elements, merging the sock-like Primeknit upper directly to the anatomically molded, uniquely shaped TPU midsole. adidas’ Futurenatural technology supplies cushioning, and a Humanrace branded strike crosses the midfoot while further branding appears on the tongue tabs and insoles. Outsoles get in on the action too, featuring a computer-printed Humanrace typography pattern. “I chased the experience I remember feeling as a kid when I walked barefoot on grass, sand and rocks,” said Pharrell while discussing the shoe’s design. “Feeling the texture, the temperature, the moisture … that primal sense of freedom was a north star objective with this project.”
The shoe’s launch is accompanied by an “I am Dakota, We are Dakota” campaign that was directed by Josué Rivas — an Indigenous creator who specializes in visual storytelling and education — and also stars multiple tribe members. Even the shoe’s name is a tribute to the Dakota people: Sičhona borrows from an Indigenous phrase that means “connecting to the earth,” the Dakota way of saying “barefoot.” Furthering the projects’s ethos, Pharrell and adidas Originals are helping to fund a 10kW solar array training and demonstration project for the youth of Standing Rock.
Expect the Pharrell x adidas Humanrace Sičhona “Team Royal Blue/Easy Coral/Clear Aqua” to debut via adidas Confirmed, the Humanrace webstore and select retailers on August 27 as part of the first-ever adidas Confirmed “Members Week.”
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